


Monkey Business

by AConfusedWriter



Category: The Terror (TV 2018), The Terror - Dan Simmons
Genre: Animal Training, Banter, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, The Arctic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24555898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConfusedWriter/pseuds/AConfusedWriter
Summary: Henry encounters an amusing sight in the wardroom. (Or, a brief and amusing conversation from before the Expedition went to hell in a hand basket.)
Relationships: Commander James Fitzjames/Lt Henry T. D. Le Vesconte
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Monkey Business

**Author's Note:**

> Credit for the idea goes to oochilka on tumblr, who does some amazing work with water colors and has a really unique and awesome style! They did a wonderful drawing of Fitz and Jacko and left some ideas in the tags that turned into a plot, and here we are. Link to their blog bellow, y'all should check them out. (Especially their drawings of Dundy. Please just look at their Dundy drawings. They capture his entire personality in one facial expression and it's glorious.)
> 
> https://oochilka.tumblr.com/
> 
> On a side note, I cannot believe I invested time and energy into researching the history of peanuts for this fic.

Henry Le Vesconte was aching to get out of the cold. Most of his watch had been spent on deck recording magnetic observations, which was never something he minded until his fingers turned red and numb and stung with cold. Now if only his fingers hadn’t been in such a state for well over an hour. In fact, it was with no small amount of relief that he bumbled down the passage to his cabin, shaking off snow like a great dog and taking loud, thudding steps. He’d almost missed James’ voice from the wardroom.

“Sit.”

Henry paused. A small word, but with odd enough context to catch his attention. It was not the kind of tone Henry had heard him use on unruly sailors, so it was unlikely anyone was being ordered to sit and take one of James’ infamous scoldings. There were no dogs on Erebus. The cat didn’t do tricks. The only animal left on board, then, would be Jacko.

“No, no, not like that. Sit.” he heard again.

Henry frowned. Was he… ?

He crept forward and pushed the door aside. There sat Commander James Fitzjames at the table in his shirtsleeves, one hand full of something or other that Jacko wanted very much and the other other hand attempting to gently restrain the grasping monkey. She chattered and bounced impatiently.

James looked up and smiled as Henry pushed through the door.

“Ah, Dundy! Your watch over, then?”

“What are you doing?” Henry asked.

James blinked, turning away from Jacko to look at him.

“What am I doing? What does it look like I’m doing?”

Dundy raised an eyebrow and peered at the agitated monkey.

“Currently, it looks like you are harassing poor Miss Jacko.”

“Harassing--? I am doing no such thing!”

“Then what are you doing?”

James’ eyes rolled so far back, Dundy wondered if he could see the inside of his head.

“I am quite clearly training our dear monkey. Isn’t that right, girl? Ah-- no!”

Dundy watched the monkey leap out of James’ grip and knock his hand to the table, sending little nuts flying everywhere. James made a noise of frustration as the monkey dashed forward to snatch them up and stuff them in her face.

“Jacko! Now look what you’ve done!”

Dundy nearly snickered at James’ whining tone, but restrained himself. James swept as many nuts off the table as he could, then stooped to pick a spare few off the floor.

Dundy frowned. “Are you training her with peanuts?”

“Why, yes.” James sat up, smoothly flipped his hair back over his shoulder, settled back, and folded his hands over his middle. As if to finish off his little display, he crossed his legs gracefully. “Yes, I am.”

“You are far too cavalier for someone who was just duped by a monkey.”

They both turned to Jacko, who chattered and bounced happily on the other side of the table.

“She almost sounds like she’s gloating,” Dundy mused, “I ought to congratulate her for it.”

James scowled. “Honestly, Dundy. You really are the worst sometimes. And here I was hoping for a bit of sympathy.”

Dundy grinned and rolled his eyes. “Not as bad as you can be. Amd aren’t peanuts rather expensive to be feeding to a monkey?”

James waved his hand and turned back to the monkey. “They’re going to expire in a month anyways, might as well use them while I can. Now sod off before you ruin the carpet! You’re dripping snow everywhere?”

Dundy laughed as he stepped out and shut the door behind him. That afternoon as he sat at his desk reviewing his notes, he heard a voice in the wardroom.

“Roll over. No, not quite- oh, now there’s a good girl. Can you do it again? Roll over. No, not like that!”

Dundy chuckled as James let loose a string of swears.

Who knew monkeys were harder to train than sailors? He smiled and returned to his notes; he couldn’t wait to see James’ face when he used that jibe at dinner.


End file.
